The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-23

1t is only natural for a class of men
having good many ups and downs to
look morose, to feel sighted by the
world and to give way to melancholy,
but that is not the secret of the care
worn look that is to be found on the
countenances ofmen who operate eleva-
tors in the big buildings down town,
though every body knows they have
ups and downs enough.
Why is it they have sober visages,
such painful looks as neglected people
wearp
Why is it their faces are always set,
immobile, fixed in stony gaze, and that
their facial expression in general would
suggest them to be members in good
standing of some brotherhood of misery,
some secret order whose object was the
unhappiness of all those who belong to
itP 1t can't be that the law of compen-
sation doesn't apply in their cases Just
as well as it does in the cases of men
engaged in other pursuits. Your eleva-
tor man who hears the merry jingle of
the sleigh-bells in winter time can thank
his stars he doesn't have to work out in
the cold, and in summer he's safe from
sunstroke so long as he sticks to his
elevator. Ordinarily he isn't drenched
when it rains, and he doesn't get his
feet wet and run the risk of pneumonia,
with all the ticklish chances that follow
that interesting malady. Neither is he
in great danger of being bitten by a
mad-dog on the streets, nor manned, or
perhaps killed by some runaway. He
is safe from a great many dangers, but
to look at him one wouldn't think so.
Perhaps the secret of his detected,
rueful look is contained in what young
attorney said the other day. This young
man "offices" near the skylight of a
very tall building on LaSalle street,
and. bethinking him of the scarcity of
litigants and the need of spring over
coat, put highly original plan in ac-
ton calculated to help him out of his
dilemma. He went to the elevator
man, gave him at various times cigars,
now and then a theater ticket, and
by similar arts which most young at
torneys know how to employ, succeeded
in gaining the friendly regard of the
dismal fellow. He wasn't required to
do much in return. All the young at
torney wanted was if any stranger came
to the elevator with card and desired
to know what room was Lawyer Browns
orLawyer Smith office. Just to take the
man in, whisk him up to the top floor
and send him to the young attorney
The latter had sufficient confidence in
his ability, once the intending litigant
was seated, to feel pretty sure of max
ing him client before ending the inter
view That is how the young legal
gentleman struck up an acquaintance
with one elevator man, and, since find
ing that it paid, he has gone out of his
way to become acquainted with many
others. He says that as class ele-
vator men are misjudged, unappre-
ciated, ignored.
People" he says, ''will think of the
elevator, speculate in their own minds
whether the COMPOUNDED thing is going
to blow up or drop into the basement,
or what not, while they are in it. They
will think of the man they are going to
see and all about the business they
have in hand, but never waste a
thought on the elevator man. There is
where the shoe pinches. The elevator
man is left out of all calculation. He
is overlooked. No one speaks to him
unless to extract some information,
then he is left severely alone, while
those about him keep up a constant chat
ter concerning the fine weather, what a
nice day it is outside, till he fairly
aches to cut the rope he's pulling into a
thousand pieces and rush out into
the warm sunshine free man. It's
this sighting of u mans vanity that
makes him almost as much of ma
chine as the one that carries the pas
sengers. He feels they look upon him
as part of the machine, and gradually
degenerates in manner to something
of mechanical subserviency. Do you
wonder he has nothing to sayP Is ii
surprising he looks glum and has a
funeral aspectP The same hardship
doesn't exist in any other calling where
a single man is expected to exercise
oversight and the safety of others is
concerned. Look at the street-car con-
ductors. They handle considerable
money, and, among the dishonest or
suspicious who ride on the cars, enjoy
the privilege of being able to knock
down. They move about good deal,